Acute cricopharyngeal achalasia after general anesthesia in myotonic dystrophy: A case report

RATIONALE: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM-1) is a progressive multisystem genetic disorder that causes myotonia and both distal limb and facial/neck muscle weakness by expanding the CTG repeats of the DMPK gene in chromosome 19q13.3. General anesthesia is indicated in DM-1 patients owing to their sensitivity to anesthetic drugs such as opioids, hypnotics, and neuromuscular blocking agents. PATIENT CONCERNS: A 48-year-old male patient underwent a laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstones under general anesthesia. He experienced sudden cardiac arrest and respiratory failure the day after surgery. After a thorough review of past medical history, we recognized that 15 years prior, he had been diagnosed with classic type DM-1, but the diagnosis was not self-reported before general anesthesia. Symptoms of severe dysphagia developed subsequently. In a videofluoroscopic swallowing study (VFSS), we observed abrupt aggravation of myotonic dysphagia after general anesthesia. VFSS revealed cricopharyngeal opening dysfunction, with a remaining large residue in the pyriform sinus, resulting in a severe cricopharyngeal achalasia pattern. DIAGNOSIS: Acute cricopharyngeal achalasia after general anesthesia. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The patient underwent a dysphagia rehabilitation program that included cricopharyngeal opening exercises and functional electrical stimulation. However, no significant improvement was observed in the cricopharyngeal achalasia in a 3-month follow-up VFSS. LESSONS: Low body temperature and anesthetic medications such as opioids and hypnotic agents can induce myotonia in the cricopharyngeal muscle.